WINCHESTER – Belmont field hockey head coach Jess Smith prefers to keep the yelling to a minimum when it comes to motivating her team. But as it trailed by a goal to Winchester in what she felt was a must-win for the Marauders Thursday night, Smith let it roar to light the fire.
Mission accomplished.
Capped by Caroline French’s game-winning goal with 4:23 left, visiting No. 9 Belmont (16-2) escaped a Middlesex League rockfight with a 3-2 win over the No. 11 Red and Black (12-6). The defense reversed course from a two-goal first quarter, shutting out Winchester over the final three frames.
Belmont star junior Mackenzie Clarke (goal, assist) anchored the attack all night as the Liberty champs closed the regular season with their 14th straight win and a last-ditch effort to rise from the eighth-seed in the Div. 1 power rankings.
“This was a playoff game atmosphere, this felt like a playoff game to us,” Smith said. “We (had) to beat Winchester to keep our state ranking up. The kids dug. I saw some kids out there dig deeper than I’ve ever seen them dig. … I save the yelling for a time when we really need it. We needed it when we were down 2-1.”
Clarke got the Marauders on the board early, taking a feed from Gigi Mastrangelo from the right wing to carry the ball into the circle and fire a reverse chip for a 1-0 lead.
Winchester stormed right back to force three corners the rest of the frame. The second resulted in a three-shot frenzy from Julia Legere she scored on to tie things up, and the third gave the Red and Black the lead on a goal from Madelyn Rabinovich.
That’s when Belmont turned things back around.
After allowing four shots on goal in the first quarter, the Marauders defense held Winchester without a shot on goal over the next two. Three corners in the first was also followed by just two total in the same span. Belmont wasn’t dominating play, but just didn’t allow much activity in the circle on the several promising rushes Winchester showed.
The Marauders jumped on the chance to even things up early in the second quarter in the meantime, as Clarke’s heavy shot on a corner was tipped in by Ryan Brodigan to make it 2-2.
“I felt like our defense played a little bit sloppy in the first half,” Smith said. “The defense started to take care of the ball quicker, not play with it as much, and deliver it out faster – which is what we talked about. That led to more offensive opportunities, too.”
Winchester goalie Isabella Bogovich stood out, shutting out Belmont in the third quarter despite bursts of dangerous pressure. A couple of scrums in front looked like near-goals, but her four saves in the frame kept the game knotted heading into the fourth.
The Red and Black drew four corners in a lopsided start to it, but Belmont’s defense again limited shots on goalie Zoe Bruce. And finally, after several trips down the field, the Marauders retook the lead on a ball French – a former defender – scooped toward the far post.
“(French) was our defender, kind of our fourth defender,” Smith said. “She’s got a great stick so we started throwing her in the front. And she’s scored some huge goals for us.”
Several players stood out for Belmont, but there’s no denying Clarke’s impact on any win.
“I think she’s the best player on every field we step onto,” Smith said. “She’s a leader in so many ways. … She sees the game sometimes better than I do.”